Suspensions for 'violating team rules and conduct unbecoming of a Jaguars football player'

By ARTHUR ARKUSH

Aug. 12, 2018

The Jaguars love the coverage of Jalen Ramsey when he's locking down opposing receivers. Apparently not when he's covering for his teammate, Dante Fowler, against what he perceives to be unfair treatment by local media.

The All-Pro cornerback, Ramsey, and embattled pass rusher Fowler were suspended for "violating team rules and conduct unbecoming of a Jaguars football player," the team announced. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports the suspension is one week. ESPN's Adam Schefter says neither player will make the trip with their teammates to Minnesota for a pair of joint practices and preseason game Saturday.

The suspension was initially reported by Rapoport as a response to Ramsey going after members of the local media for reporting on a skirmish during Sunday's practice involving Fowler. It's unclear whether previous tweets were deleted, but only one from today remains on Ramsey's feed: "I'm always gone take up for my teammates kus I know what type of men and players they are forreal! Love my dawgs! If you don't like it, oh well!" the tweet says.

Fowler, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, notched a career-high 8.5 sacks last season but didn't have his fifth-year option picked up by the team. He missed his rookie season after tearing his ACL in his first minicamp practice and has struggled to live up to expectations as the first non-QB selected in that draft. He was recently activated from the PUP list and, per reports, got into a scuffle with teammate Yannick Ngakoue during Sunday's session. Fowler reportedly was the instigator in a previous incident during Sunday's practice, too.

Ramsey, 23, earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection last season, his second in Jacksonville, which selected the former Florida State standout No. 5 overall in the 2016 draft. Jacksonville's best player, and one of its most outspoken, he had managed to stay in the good graces' of the coaching staff to our knowledge prior to Sunday.

It's worth noting Jacksonville's first-rounder last season, Leonard Fournette, was suspended one game by the coaching staff for being late for a team photo last November, a punishment that was announced only hours before a game. Jaguars CB Aaron Colvin and DT Malik Jackson were also involved in a sideline skirmish in Week 17 last season, though no known team penalties were handed down.

But it's interesting to see how one of the NFL's more talented rosters, which broke through in a big way during last year's 10-6 campaign en route to putting the New England Patriots on the ropes in the AFC title game, perhaps hasn't quite matured as much off the field as it has on it just yet. Returning nearly every key member from last season, the Jaguars are a chic pick to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIII.

Whether they're reading those clippings, and how the club responds to this incident, will be a fascinating storyline to monitor.